


Unexpected But Not Bad

by neverloseyou



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Marriage, Romance, Wedding, forced to marry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-02-13 13:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12985455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverloseyou/pseuds/neverloseyou
Summary: “I never thought I’d get married again,” Hakkai said with a slight smile after closing the door of their shared room behind them.“When I said you were the only man I’d ever take to my bed, it wasn’t an invitation to the gods,” Gojyo complained from where he had flopped onto the bed. “I never thought my days of being a bachelor would end this early.”“And certainly not like this,” Hakkai added with a little laugh. “I wonder if it counts as a shotgun wedding. Sanzo waved his banishing gun around enough, quite threateningly in fact.”Hakkai and Gojyo suddenly end up married!





	1. Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> Saiyuki does not belong to me.
> 
> I'm not a writer. I didn't even really know where I was going with this. You'll find lots of inconsistency and characters acting a little out of character. Hopefully I can explain some of that later, but a lot of it is just because I don't know what I'm doing and I told myself I'd publish this as soon as I wrote it, so I wouldn't chicken out and just delete the whole thing instead. So umm enjoy.

“I never thought I’d get married again,” Hakkai said with a slight smile after closing the door of their shared room behind them.   
“When I said you were the only man I’d ever take to my bed, it wasn’t an invitation to the gods,” Gojyo complained from where he had flopped onto the bed. “I never thought my days of being a bachelor would end this early.”  
“And certainly not like this,” Hakkai added with a little laugh. “I wonder if it counts as a shotgun wedding. Sanzo waved his banishing gun around enough, quite threateningly in fact.”  
This comment got a laugh out of Gojyo. “Just imagine, Sanzo the angry father after I deflowered his daughter…”   
“I don’t think I need to imagine,” Hakkai replied, “since it probably would have looked exactly like that.” Gojyo indulged in another fit of laughter while Hakkai set down their things and then took a seat on the bed next to Gojyo. “But really, Gojyo, I suppose we’d better talk about this.” Gojyo nodded. However lightly they took it, however impious he himself was, or however faithful to a dead past Hakkai was, earlier that day they had made binding vows to each other…

Earlier…

The Sanzo party entered the deserted temple, alert but not wary. They were in search of an artifact that the nearby village claimed could provide either safety and prosperity or destruction and despair, depending on whether it was blessed or cursed. Normally Sanzo would dismiss such nonsense, but his instincts had apparently led him to say that he and his companions would go find it. So they spent most of the morning driving up a narrow mountain road to reach this temple. Crossing the threshold, they turned to look at each other, hair standing on end. The place held some kind of power, that was for sure. However, it didn’t feel or look sinister. The clouds had parted, bathing the site in sunlight. Worn stone made graceful arches and carved everywhere was the image of a dancing couple, mountain spirits or minor gods perhaps. Sanzo, seeming to know exactly where he was going, passed under a series of arches to get to the center of the temple, as the rest of them trailed behind, Goku saying that it was a fantastic place for a picnic, Gojyo smoking a cigarette and trying to determine if the woman in the carvings was a looker, and Hakkai on autopilot as he mentally compiled a list of supplies they needed from the village. On a pedestal in the middle of the temple was a ruby red stone that sparkled in the sunlight. Sanzo put his hand on it, muttered a few words, then removed it quickly and shook his hand out as if he had received an electric shock.   
“Hakkai, Gojyo, Monkey, get over here,” he called. “Hakkai and Gojyo, put your hands on this stone.” “Yes your priestliness,” Gojyo muttered. Sanzo just smiled at him, and that was when Gojyo realized that something was very strange. He tried to take his hand off of the rock, where it rested on top of Hakkai’s. He couldn’t. It was like he was glued to it, and to Hakkai’s hand as well. Hakkai’s eyes widened, and glanced back and forth between the Sanzo and Gojyo, settling on Sanzo. “What might this be, Sanzo?” he asked pleasantly… on the outside. Gojyo shivered.   
“This temple is on the verge of being corrupted. You and Gojyo are going to save it,” Sanzo snapped. “And solve more than one headache of mine while you’re at it.” He only allowed them to glance at each other briefly before continuing. “Goku, come stand next to me. You’re going to be a witness. Gojyo, Hakkai, try to look happier. Hold hands or something.”   
Gojyo flipped him off with his free hand, and Hakkai laughed his secretly-angry laugh. “We don’t absolutely have to, do we?”   
Sanzo’s gun was out and pointed threatening at Gojyo. “You’re welcome to find out what happens if you don’t.” Awkwardly, they gripped each other’s hands, reaching over their arms where their other hands were stuck to the rock. “Good,” Sanzo smiled just a little. Then he began to glow. The gun had disappeared and now he held his arms out to his sides and they were surrounded by warm golden light. Hakkai gasped as an old but treasured memory brushed against his mind. Gojyo gulped. He wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but there was a solemn-yet-joyous feeling around him and he sensed Hakkai’s tension through his tight grip on his hand.   
“Repeat after me,” Sanzo said evenly. He turned to Gojyo. “I, Gojyo Sha, hereby make a vow of marriage to Hakkai Cho.” Gojyo choked, hardly daring to look at Hakkai, who stood wide eyed and still as a statue, shaking slightly. Gojyo determinedly shut his mouth. Sanzo was pointing the banishing gun at him again, but he ignored it this time, instead meeting Sanzo’s eyes and hoping to convey his determination to not cause his dearest companion pain. Sanzo met his gaze, then shrugged and turned to Hakkai. The gun stayed pointed at Gojyo, of course. “Repeat. I, Hakkai Cho, hereby make a vow of marriage to Gojyo Sha.”   
Hakkai took a deep breath. Gojyo felt him taking control of himself again, loosening his grip on his hand to a comfortable level. “I, Hakkai Cho,” he emphasized his new name, “hereby make a vow of marriage to Gojyo Sha,” Hakkai said quietly. Sanzo turned back to Gojyo and raised an eyebrow. Gojyo repeated the vow correctly, wondering the whole time if this was really happening. Sanzo’s glow got brighter and warmer, and the stone their hand rested on felt hot. Sanzo was looking at Goku. “I, Son Goku, witness your marriage!” The monkey stated enthusiastically. He looked totally thrilled and any other time Gojyo would have wanted to strangle him but right now he had more important things to worry about. Sanzo eyed them both sternly. “Repeat. I vow to be faithful and to care for Gojyo Sha as long as he is my husband.” Hakkai repeated the words. Gojyo said his in turn. He had to squint as the light went up again. Sanzo didn’t appear to have a problem with it. “I now pronounce you, Gojyo Sha and Hakkai Cho, married.” He grimaced. “Kiss.”   
Gojyo was red in the face. He should have known this was coming. Hakkai looked… beautiful, actually. Shocked, but bathed in light and calm. Gojyo leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. There was an explosion of brightness, and the rock felt as if it was searing their hands. Gojyo ripped them away from it and then realized that they were free now, released from whatever had been keeping them in place. Hakkai was still gripping his other hand and looking up at Gojyo. Sanzo was poking at the stone, seeming to no longer be able to touch it. Goku was jumping up and down and grinning at Sanzo. “They’re really married! Now all we need is a wedding feast! Can we have one? Sanzoo?”  
Gojyo chuckled. Trust the monkey to think of food at the most ridiculous times. Then his attention was taken up by Hakkai, who was looking at him as if he wasn’t sure what Gojyo would do. In fact, Gojyo didn’t know what to do, except that he didn’t feel pissed off the way he should, in fact he felt fine, good even. Pissed at Sanzo, of course, but even that faded away as his mind was filled with how much he honestly did care for Hakkai. He squeezed Hakkai’s hand and led him back to the Jeep. Neither of them said anything yet. Sanzo joined them a few minutes later. When Gojyo saw him coming, he pushed Hakkai into the driver’s seat and took the passenger side for himself, so he wouldn’t have to let go of his, his husband. Sanzo made a face at him, but climbed into the back to sit with the monkey. Hakkai drove them back into town. The party was quiet. In the town, they went to a better hotel than usual. Sanzo got them nice rooms, one for Hakkai and Gojyo, and one for himself and Goku. Then, indulging Goku, he brought them to the restaurant and ordered plentiful quantities of everything on the menu. Gojyo and Hakkai were hungry, so they ate. Sanzo ordered a cake after dinner. Hakkai made a face after a few bites, and glanced at Gojyo. They both stood up. Sanzo cut the remaining cake in half and handed half of it to Goku. “I’ll have the rest saved for you. It’s your wedding cake, after all.” Then he raised his glass and toasted them. Gojyo rolled his eyes and went with Hakkai to go find their room. 

“I never thought I’d get married again,” Hakkai said with a slight smile after closing the door of their shared room behind them.   
“When I said you were the only man I’d ever take to my bed, it wasn’t an invitation to the gods,” Gojyo complained from where he had flopped onto the bed. “I never thought my days of being a bachelor would end this early.”  
“And certainly not like this,” Hakkai added with a little laugh. “I wonder if it counts as a shotgun wedding. Sanzo waved his banishing gun around enough, quite threateningly in fact.”  
This comment got a laugh out of Gojyo. “Just imagine, Sanzo the angry father after I deflowered his daughter…”   
“I don’t think I need to imagine,” Hakkai replied, “since it probably would have looked exactly like that.” Gojyo indulged in another fit of laughter while Hakkai set down their things and then took a seat on the bed next to Gojyo. “But really, Gojyo, I suppose we’d better talk about this.”   
Gojyo nodded. “Hakkai… I know this is painful for you. Your past…” Hakkai shook his head. “No, my past… it does hurt sometimes, but I can’t allow it control me. It’s possible that I would have wanted to get married, again, at some point, you know.” Gojyo’s heart lifted and then he was flooded with guilt. “I’m stopping you from doing that.”   
“What about me? Now that you’re a married man, are you going to continue finding, ahem, ladies to charm?” Hakkai asked. “I’m at least as much of an impediment to you, you know.”  
Gojyo paused. He wasn’t exactly sure how to say what was on his mind. “Well, I kinda made a vow today anyway. I gotta be faithful to you, Hakkai. I know it wasn’t exactly our decision, but I still swore, y’know? So I think I’m going to keep my word,” Gojyo blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. Why did that feel like a love confession? Hakkai stood. “I’ll keep my vow to you too, not that I would have done anything different anyway, hahaha,” he started to unpack their things. “At the very least, we shouldn’t do otherwise until I can get Sanzo to explain more about what that whole ceremony at the temple did with the artifact.” 

There was one large bed for the two of them, which Hakkai placed their neatly folded pajamas on. Gojyo got up and opened the bathroom door. “Hey, Hakkai, this is awesome! We’ve got a giant tub in there, check this out.”   
Hakkai smiled and waved at him. “Go ahead and have a soak Gojyo, I’m going to read for a while and I’ll bath after that.”   
When Gojyo was in the bathroom running water, Hakkai fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He was married… to Gojyo. The person he cared about the most. The person, he’d been trying not to admit to himself, he was more than a little bit in love with. He sighed. What the hell was he going to do now?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh... the best thing I can say about this is that it actually got written... there are so many issues with this story, but I'm just going to ignore them all because I told myself I'd write something and publish it, and somehow I actually got that far. Still don't know where I'm going with this. You've been warned.

While Hakkai unpacked and looked for a book, Gojyo ran a hot bath. The bathtub really was more like a hot tub, and it lifted his spirits quite a bit to be able to relax in a pool of hot water. If Goku knew, he’d probably tease him more about being a water sprite. All Gojyo knew was that a hot bath was an excellent way to relax and think things through. Taking a seat, he took a moment to appreciate that he had no wounds that would sting or sore muscles that needed to be soothed, since they had not encountered any enemies that day. The hot water washed over him pleasantly, and he leaned back against the side of the tub to soak and soak in the day’s events.   
Married. He and Hakai were married. Even immersed in hot water, it made Gojyo tense. How did Hakkai feel about all of this? Hakkai had been the one to acquiesce to Sanzo’s orders, not Gojyo. Presumably it was because he knew or guessed more about the magical artifact than Gojyo did. But at the very least, it had been Hakkai’s decision, that Gojyo had accepted. His friend had made a choice, a choice that was very much in the present and not in the past, and that made Gojyo smile because he was happy for him. Well, marriage was supposed to be happy, wasn’t it? He recalled the joyful golden light and the way his hand had rested on Hakkai’s on the red stone and Hakkai’s hand had been in his, held awkwardly but somehow, perhaps, tenderly. At that Gojyo ducked underwater and scrubbed roughly through his hair, temporarily driving off further thoughts of marital bliss. He resurfaced cleaner and gasping for breath, but not much clearer minded. As he got out of the bath and began drying himself off, he had an idea. It would be fun, and he didn’t know how Hakkai would react, but since they were married he supposed he would be forgiven. He grinned at himself in the mirror, wrapped a towel around his waist and grabbed another one for his hair, and walked back into the bedroom.   
Hakkai was settled in a chair by the window reading a book, but he looked up when Gojyo came in before immediately returning his attention to his book. Could he be blushing? Gojyo wondered, suddenly much more aware that he had strode into the room half naked. Hakkai’s cheeks were the faintest pink, so Gojyo couldn’t be sure. Maybe he should go over and see if Hakkai wanted to get a closer--suddenly the thought of the red stone careened into his thoughts, just for an instant. Its red inner light winked at him. “Hakkai,” Gojyo said. He stayed on the other side of the room and started getting dressed. Hakkai looked up, hearing the seriousness in his friend’s voice. “Gojyo?” “Hakkai… the artifact…” he winced, hoping he didn’t reveal too much, “do you think it could be influencing us somehow?” Hakkai drew in a sharp breath. “I would say that it is possible,” Hakkai said. “I don’t know as much about it as I would like. I’ll talk to Sanzo about it soon.” Gojyo nodded. “Good. I’m going out for a while, then. See you later, Hakkai.” “Yes, see you later, Gojyo,” Hakkai echoed as Gojyo ran down the stairs and out of the inn. 

Hakkai rested his book on his lap and thought about what Gojyo had just said. Hakkai thought that Sanzo had used the artifact for the purpose it was created for; a ceremony binding together two people. Partly it was something he sensed, but it also seemed evident from the carvings on the walls of the temple. When Gojyo had come into the room, Hakkai felt that he had been more physically aware of Gojyo than he should have been. He knew he was attracted to Gojyo, but was it becoming harder to suppress? More importantly, how was the artifact affecting Gojyo, who to Hakkai’s knowledge did not feel for Hakkai the way Hakkai felt for him? He sighed, close his book, and got up to find Sanzo. 

Hakkai found Sanzo’s rooms, and Goku, but no Sanzo. Goku told him that Sanzo had gone out and told Goku not to wait up for him. Hakkai reluctantly decided that he could wait until morning to question him.   
“So, you’re really married to Gojyo now, huh?” Goku grinned at him as the two of them took a walk around the hotel, since Hakkai was restless and Goku didn’t mind tagging along. Hakkai looked down at a flower in the garden they were passing through. “Yes. I do believe the ceremony and the vows were genuine.” If not the feelings behind them. Goku shook his head vigorously. “I don’t mean just that,” he paused, “although Sanzo sure was really cool with all the pretty golden light and I got be your guys’ witness, which is important you know,” he paused again for breath “but you love Gojyo, don’t you?” Hakkai laughed a little. There was no uncertainty about the answer to that question. “Yes, more than I can say,” he said quietly, knowing that Goku would understand not to repeat what he’d said.  
“Then it’s great that you’re married to him, right?”   
Hakkai shook his head and stared down at the flowers by the path. They were red, but not so alive a red as Gojyo’s hair… “more than I want to be married to him, I want him to be happy. I don’t know if being married to me will be… if it’s what he wants.”  
Goku didn’t know what to say to Hakkai. He was pretty sure Gojyo wouldn’t reject Hakkai, but it was up to Gojyo to say so. Finally he dashed off and came back a minute later with some gardening scissors. “The lady over there said you could cut some flowers and take them up to your room,” he told Hakkai. “Maybe you should pick those ones you keep staring at,” he teased. Hakkai blushed, thinking of how the flowers reminded him of Gojyo, but he picked a few flowers into a nice bouquet before handing the scissors back to Goku. “I’m going to find some flowers for my and Sanzo’s room too,” Goku said, and dashed off again. Hakkai smiled and went to find a vase. 

By the time Gojyo got back, it was late at night and Hakkai was asleep on one side of their bed.  
Gojyo barely resisted the urge to touch his sleeping face. Instead he pulled the covers up past Hakkai’s shoulders and went to get ready for bed. The light from the bathroom lit a corner of the room, and Gojyo passed a vase full flowers that hadn’t been there earlier. 

****

When Hakkai woke up, it was clear that Gojyo had been there, but he was gone. Hakkai frowned. Was Gojyo avoiding him? It was true that there had been something strange going on the night before, but nothing bad had happened. He packed and went down to breakfast, with the thought of at least figuring out more about the artifact from Sanzo. However, Sanzo was as scarce as Gojyo, and it was just him and Goku at breakfast until minutes before they all had to leave, herded toward the car by Sanzo, who was apparently anxious to get back on the road. As they loaded the car, Gojyo brought down his bag and carried a single flower in his other hand. He noticed Hakkai looking and their eyes met for a moment. Something familiar and friendly brushed against Hakkai’s mind. Gojyo’s eyes widened; he must have felt it too. Sanzo had turned around and was staring at them. “Let’s go,” he snapped.

The horde of demons ambushed them a mile outside of town. They weren’t particularly strong or well coordinated, but it seemed as if there were hundreds of them. “Is this an army?” Gojyo panted, leaning on his weapon during a short lull. “Looks like every man for himself, if you ask me,” Goku called as he bashed more demons on the head without even looking at them. “If this goes on much longer,” Hakkai said, calm and focused as he readied another chi blast, “we may have to consider continuing to move through this area as we fight.” “Tch, what a pain,” Sanzo reloaded his banishing gun. And the next wave of demons collided with their party. 

Finally, toward the end of the morning, there were no more attackers. The four of them regrouped at the jeep, where Goku threw himself into the back and declared that he was so hungry he could barely move. He only had a few scrapes, but Gojyo had a smashed finger and a bruise on his face, Hakkai had cuts on one forearm and a small gash on the side of his leg, and Sanzo had started limping some time in the last hour. Now he leaned against the back of the jeep next to Goku and smoked a cigarette. They were all exhausted. Hakkai looked wrung out, Gojyo thought, but he sat behind the wheel. “We should get some distance between us and the area of the ambush,” he said. So they all piled into the jeep and drove for a while until they reached an open area with a river on one side of the road and a flat field on the other, and Hakkai drove them down to the side of the river and dug out their food, water, and medical supplies.   
Gojyo wandered down to wash his hands and dip his toes in the river, and Hakkai followed him with the first aid kit. “You fractured your ring finger,” Hakkai said with a little laugh as a grasped Gojyo’s injured hand and inspected it. “Not exactly an auspicious thing to do, the day after your wedding.”   
“Neither is getting attacked by demons,” Gojyo pointed out. Hakkai was about to start healing it, but there was a feeling like a zap and a brief rush of power that flowed through him and into his hands, then passed warmly through him to Gojyo. And Gojyo’s injury was gone. Hakkai looked up and met his eyes, noticing that the bruise on his face had disappeared without a trace too.   
“Uh, Hakkai? That healing was weird…” Gojyo twitched. He felt like something was buzzing, or maybe tingling, and he felt less like he had been fighting demons for most of the day and more like he’d slept for ten hours and woke up feeling restless and drowsy at the same time. His hand was still in Hakkai’s. He stumbled back a step on the slippery rocks of the river, overbalanced, and grabbed for Hakkai’s wrist, trying not to fall into the water. He failed. Hakkai yelped with surprise as they were both involuntarily dunked in the cold river river. Hakkai stood up first and tried to shake the water from his clothing. He pushed up the sleeve of his injured arm, but there was no cut. He checked the other arm, but there was nothing there either. He buzzed with what remained of powerful channeled energy.   
“Hakkai?” Gojyo was always attuned enough to his moods to know when something was up. When he didn’t get the feeling that there was some immediate danger, he grabbed Hakkai’s arm and pulled him out of the river. They were both soaking wet and dripping. “You healed me,” Hakkai said wonderingly.   
“He’s not capable of healing people,” Sanzo had come over unnoticed. “As I’m sure you meant to say, the artifact healed you through him.”  
“The artifact…” Hakkai said slowly, “it channels power through us?”   
“That seems to be the case,” Sanzo said as he limped back to the car. Hakkai and Gojyo followed him. Sanzo took a seat and got out his pack of cigarettes. Hakkai sat on the ground so he could look at Sanzo’s foot. “I’m concerned the artifact may have unintended effects,” Hakkai said. He poked at Sanzo’s ankle and the monk winced nearly imperceptibly. “It’s a rock that got enchanted a long time ago to empower the bond between two people,” Sanzo said irritably. “It’s supposed to make you both stronger. It worked. Both of you were fighting better during that demon swarm today, if you didn’t notice that yourselves. There might be some other benefits. I doubt that it will ensure that you have a long and happy marriage, but the stupid rock is going to try anyway. Healing each other may the beginning of its powers.”  
Hakkai concentrated and pulled power from himself to heal Sanzo’s injury. It flowed through him the way it normally did, and the last of the buzzing sensation disappeared, although Hakkai noted that he barely felt tired. He stood. He felt Gojyo’s eyes on the back of his head. “Sanzo… does the artifact have any influence over us? Can it, ah, change our emotions in order to, as you said, ensure a long and happy marriage?”  
Sanzo shrugged and faced the river. “It won’t find anything that’s not there. But, naturally, you might end up thinking of each other more often. Try not to let the idiot get on your nerves too much. It won’t change who you are, and it makes you stronger, and thus more useful and less likely to die.”  
Hakkai nodded. It wasn’t the clearest explanation, but at least he felt that he wouldn’t be guilty of causing Gojyo’s feelings toward him to be altered. He wandered back toward the river. Gojyo caught up and grabbed his arm. He pushed the sleeve back up to Hakkai’s elbow. “I can heal you now?” He trailed his fingers over the unmarked skin where the cut had been. Something hummed in the back of Hakkai’s mind and his breath sped up by a tiny amount.   
“If only we’d had this power years ago, eh?” Gojyo grinned at him and Hakkai chuckled and started to walk toward the river again but Gojyo didn’t want to let go yet. “Hey, Hakkai,” he said casually. “Since I’ve got your hand here, I guess this is as good a time as any, right?” He dug around in his back pocket for a second and then a warm metal band slid around Hakkai’s left ring finger. He looked back in surprise and saw the simple gold ring shining there as if it really belonged. Gojyo dropped a second one into his palm. “I was thinking, if we’re married, we’re gonna need rings. It only makes sense, right Hakkai?” He held out his hand for Hakkai to put the ring on. Hakkai took a deep breath, reassured himself that this was actually happening, and carefully took Gojyo’s hand and slid the matching ring onto his ring finger. He felt the thrilling, buzzing hum of the stone and the speed of his own heartbeat, the effect of his own genuine and long-kept feelings. He held his hand with the ring up next up next to Gojyo’s. “They look very nice, Gojyo. Thank you.” “Hakkai--”  
“Stop being all lovey-dovey, we’re leaving in ten minutes!” yelled Sanzo. The bubble around the two of them burst instantly, and their surroundings flooded back in. Gojyo went to get river mud out of his clothing, and Hakkai went to put away the first aid kit and stare at the wedding ring as if it wasn’t quite real and might disappear from his finger if he took his eyes off it.

To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, a short chapter that didn't take too long to write! It may not be the best reading in the story, but while I was writing this I finally figured out where I'm going with the whole story! I have an outline. An outline! So now I can say that I expect to take 1-3 more chapters to finish this little story.   
> Anyway, once again I've posted before I lose the courage to do it. So here's the chapter :)

They slept in a small, shabby inn in a tiny village that night, but it didn’t matter much since most of the Sanzo party didn’t have enough energy to do more than eat and sleep, due to the demon attack earlier. Gojyo alone tossed and turned in his sleeping bag laid out on the creaky wood floor, unable to rest as easily as the others seemed to be. The red stone’s energy still hummed faintly at the edge of his consciousness. He couldn’t feel any new energy being added, but it really was like the healing earlier had resulted in him feeling like he’d slept for ten hours in the middle of the day. He wondered if Hakkai still felt that lingering sense of power, too. It was likely, since Hakkai was pretty perceptive and this feeling… was stronger than before? Gojyo tried not to think about it, focusing his mind instead on whether or not it would be worth getting up to go for a walk. The power receded. Red Stone, Gojyo said to himself. Nothing happened. He rolled over onto his back and stretched. A tiny bit of light glinted off the shiny metal on his hand. The ring that matched Hakkai’s. Hakkai had seemed happy, earlier. That was good. Gojyo hadn’t been entirely sure how he’d take it. The rings, for all that he’d impulsively thought of getting them, were sincerely meant. Now that they were bound together like this, Gojyo finally realized that he would be unwilling to let go. Hakkai, I won’t be able to bear it if you find someone else…  
“Gojyo?” Hakkai’s voice froze his thoughts in their tracks. Red power hummed and rushed around Gojyo insistently. It flowed rapidly around him like a river that surrounds an island. Hakkai, Sanzo, and Goku were instantly awake and wide eyed. Hakkai knelt next to Gojyo, just out of the way of the currents of power. That wasn’t right, Gojyo thought. He reached out to Hakkai. The energy reached out with him, tendrils of red seeking Hakkai, seeking to draw him in. Hakkai backed off slightly and offered Gojyo a cautious, careful smile. Gojyo didn’t chase him, and Hakkai stopped backing away. He examined the red energy that strained toward him and absently reached out a hand in answer to it, but stopped himself before he could touch it. Gojyo saw Hakkai jerk backward abruptly, and based on some instinct or foolishness or the energy messing with his head, Gojyo followed him. That was all the energy needed to surge forward and envelope Hakkai in a similar storm to the one raging around Gojyo.   
Hakkai gasped as it surged along his skin and rushed around and him, the feeling utterly disorienting. The power turned him this way and that, it wound around his arms and legs and crackled when it reached the ends of his hair. Then he felt it settling and pooling, along the scar on his belly and much more intensely, in his head where his eye had once been. The space throbbed and ached suddenly, overwhelmingly. The next thing Hakkai knew, he was pressed up against a solid chest and there were strong arms wrapped around him. Gojyo. The power was receding, sinking into their skin, where it hummed faintly and diminishingly. Their skin. He knew what was happening to Gojyo too. There was the sense of long hair that brushed against his face, and his own trembling body clinging to Gojyo’s. … Hakkai focused on calming down. The first step was a careless smile, a slow deep breath, and calming his body so that he no longer trembled. Gojyo, likewise, loosened his grip, although he kept holding Hakkai and Hakkai didn’t seem to mind. There was nothing but the sound of breathing in the room.   
“Is it over?” Goku whispered from next to Sanzo, breaking the silence. There was a sound from where Hakkai’s face was in Gojyo’s shirt, then he lifted his head and laughed his usual laugh, if weakly. “The excitement does seem to have passed,” he said.   
“So… what was that?” once again, Goku was the one to ask. Sanzo scoffed. “If I had to guess, I’d say the kappa had an emotional moment.”   
Gojyo sneered at him and lifted a hand off of Hakkai’s back in order to flip him off, but then he realized that he was pulling strings of red power off of Hakkai, and it got harder to move his hand the further he tried to move, as if the power was some kind of elastic or bungee stuck to both of them. “Hakkai? Try to move.” Hakkai did. He peeled himself off of Gojyo’s front, trailing strands of power, and managed to back up about two feet before he felt he was being pulled back in. Gojyo’s awareness of Hakkai’s exact physical sensations faded away. With a sigh of relief, he fell back onto his sleeping bag. “Gojyo!” Hakkai landed right on top of him, forcefully enough to make Gojyo gasp for air. … Hakkai groaned and sat up, straddling Gojyo for one very--interesting--moment before he rolled off to lie by Gojyo’s side. “Hakkai, you know that when they say you’re ‘throwing yourself at someone,’ they don’t mean it literally, right? Not that I’m not flattered and all--”   
“Gojyo,” Hakkai’s voice was pleasantly venomous. “We’ll both have to be careful not to make any sudden moves. I wouldn’t want either of us to trip and fall down a flight of stairs, for example.”   
“But, wouldn’t you both end up falling?” Goku interrupting logically. Hakkai sighed defeatedly and Gojyo patted his shoulder. “I guess you’ll have to be extra careful, eh Hakkai?”   
“Well, Gojyo, since we appear to be glued to one another, I suppose I have no other option. Neither do you I’m afraid, so I’ll have to rely on you to tolerate my daily activities. Beginning with getting up in a few hours.” Hakkai’s tone left Gojyo with little doubt that Hakkai intended to drag him out of bed as soon as, or possibly a little before, the sun began to rise. Which would be soon. And Gojyo was now exhausted enough to sleep for another ten hours, the energy that had been keeping him up earlier having vanished. Well, not vanished, but certainly stopped preventing him from sleeping. Sanzo and Goku had already disappeared back into their sleeping bags.   
“Well then, I’m going back to bed, Gojyo.”   
“Me too, I guess.” Gojyo scooted his sleeping back over until it was practically under the bed and laid down. Hakkai slid onto the bed itself, and the pressure began to build in Gojyo’s skull and all along his body. “Uh,” he began, but evidently Hakkai felt it at least as much as he did. “It’s no use,” he said. “Gojyo, if you don’t mind sleeping up here,” and Gojyo got up and laid on the bed with a sigh of satisfaction as he enjoyed having an actual mattress underneath him instead of hard floorboards. He was very close to Hakkai, who must have been aware of him but showed no sign of acknowledging it, so Gojyo just looked up at the ceiling and tried to relax and not think too much about what was going to happen in the morning and what he was going to say to Hakkai. Soon his eyes closed and conscious mind fell away into dreams. He woke up once, briefly, to find Hakkai’s arm around him, before he drifted off again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and especially for having gotten this far haha!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakkai and Gojyo are stuck together by some kind of strange magic, but at least they have a day to rest in a small village, and suddenly discover another effect of the red stone!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize for waiting so long to post this chapter. Life keeps interfering, time speeds by, and it's been much longer than I intended. I finally had time to return to this story today, pick up where I left off in January, and get things back on track toward the conclusion I've had in mind. It's been a while since I revisited Saiyuki cannon, so it may have morphed into an odd shape in my mind, but I'm determined to continue writing this story before it goes stale or begins to mold. I hope the readers continue to enjoy it.  
> P.S. DizzyBlackRaven, a fellow writer of Saiyuki fanfic, has been important in motivating me to continue this little story, so I wanted to give a public thank you. THANK YOU!

As the sky began to lighten, Hakkai’s internal clock opened his eyes, as usual. Unlike other days, however, he didn’t give it the respect he normally gave to having a morning ritual. This was because he woke up in the same bed as Gojyo, pressed up against him and with their limbs tangled together. Can’t you wait just a little longer, he silently implored the sunrise. Give me just a few more minutes to enjoy this. The sun didn’t reply, but Hakkai answered himself. He let his eyes close and his breathing slow, and let himself bask in the warmth of Gojyo’s body, turning his face away from the rising sun and into Gojyo’s neck.

****

Gojyo woke up to bright sunlight. It reminded him of mornings in the house he’d shared with Hakkai. He’d always stay up late and then sleep until the sun woke him up. Hakkai always timed his breakfast perfectly with his own lunch, allowing the two of them to have a relaxing meal together after Gojyo woke up. Thinking of Hakkai brought him to automatically checking his memory for Hakkai’s whereabouts, which led to him sit up very quickly in bed, or trying to and realizing halfway through that his arms were full of Hakkai. He ended up dragging Hakkai half of the way up with him. Hakkai’s eyes opened. Gojyo smiled deliriously at him and racked his brains for an explanation. To his surprise, Hakkai said “Good morning, Gojyo,” the same way he used to when Gojyo wandered into their kitchen for breakfast. He acted as if he woke up in Gojyo’s arms every day. And what would that be like? Wasn’t it too early in the day for this?

While Gojyo’s mind drifted away with this question, Hakkai got up and moved carefully around Gojyo until Gojyo felt the pull of power keeping them together. “The allowed distance appears to have increased overnight,” Hakkai said. He stood up while Gojyo was still sitting on the bed. They both felt faint pressure at that point, but it wasn’t an elastic band about to snap them back together. “We can manage like this,” Hakkai continued. “Now, we seem to have overslept, so if you wouldn’t mind, Gojyo, I need you to get up and follow me around. Please let me know if you need to do anything yourself.”

They went through their morning routines and got ready to go, orbiting around each other and somehow managing to make it work with minimal fuss. They were already used to being so aware of each other that they never lost track of the other’s movements. 

They encountered Sanzo and Gojyo downstairs, finishing a late breakfast. “We’ll eat quickly and get on the road,” Hakkai began saying to Sanzo.  
“No, we’re staying here for a day,” the priest said absently as he flipped to the next page of his newspaper. “If we start before dawn tomorrow we can make it to the next town without taking a break in between.” Gojyo and Goku groaned at the prospect of spending that many hours in the back of the jeep. “Better make the most of my free time, then,” Gojyo said in the way he usually did. Goku snorted.  
“I’m afraid that won’t be entirely possible,” Hakkai said quietly, managing to sound firm but still guilty at the same time. Gojyo could feel Goku and Sanzo glaring at him and willing him to feel guilty too. Oh, that would only happen in their dreams. “Sure it will, Hakkai, I’ll just have to bring you along with me. You can’t possibly shop all day. Do your stuff in the morning and then come with me tonight.” Gojyo wiggled his eyebrows teasingly on that last part, more out of habit than anything else. Hakkai looked at him blankly, but Gojyo detected a hint of red around his ears. Blushing? “I, ah, I suppose that would only be fair,” Hakkai said mock-helplessly. “I can’t deny my husband if he wants to go out in the evening, you know.” And now it was Gojyo’s turn to try and keep his embarrassment from showing. Why did Hakkai have to make it sound so much like going out in the evening was a married couple thing, like date night or something? Shit, what if that was exactly what it was? Had he just asked Hakkai out? Was that even something you could do when you were already married?  
Sanzo and Goku left first on some priest’s task for the village, leaving Gojyo and Hakkai to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. It was nice not to be on the road, Hakkai thought, even if it was for just a day. There was no rush to be anywhere at all. “We need to make a short visit to the village store, I need to spend some time on repairing our gear, and after that I better let you have your own choice of what to do today,” Hakkai said after his last sip of tea. “Sounds fair to me,” Gojyo agreed.  
They left the inn walking side by side, feeling the pull of the red stone’s binding on them like a rubber band that they kept stretched. Gojyo found himself uncertain what to say. It had been longer than he thought since he and Hakkai had spent a day together, just the two of them. Long enough that it felt unfamiliar, even. Or maybe that was just because things had changed, because Gojyo knew now that he wanted Hakkai for himself.  
“Should I buy some apples?” Hakkai mused, drawing Gojyo out of his thoughts. “Today makes me think of that time, somehow. Meeting you again.”  
Gojyo knew what he meant. “That’s pretty nostalgic,” he commented. Hakkai bought apples from a stall in the tiny village market. Hakkai was able to find most of what he needed, and they even stopped to pick up cigarettes for Gojyo before returning to the inn.  
“Well, Gojyo, what shall we do for the rest of the day?” Hakkai asked. He was sitting on a bench facing the garden behind the inn, because the sunlight was strong there and Hakkai was repairing the damage some demon claws had done to their luggage, using needle and thread to attach new patches with small, neat stitches.  
Gojyo didn’t answer immediately. He’d been lying back on a patch of grass near Hakkai’s feet, letting the warmth of the sun soak into his body. From where he was, he could turn his head slightly and look up at the movement of Hakkai’s hands with the needle, slowly letting it hypnotize him until nothing occupied his mind but Hakkai and a sort of dreamy relaxation.  
“Gojyo?” Hakkai couldn’t help smiling back when the redhead grinned up at him. “Let’s forget about this crazy journey we’re on, alright Hakkai? And get the heck out of the way of the priest and his monkey for an afternoon and a night.”  
“How were you thinking of doing that?” Hakkai asked. “If it involves sneaking off to a bar they wouldn’t go into, I don’t think the village offers another option…”  
“Naw, the weather’s too good to be cooped up in some rundown building,” Gojyo said, to Hakkai’s relief. “I wanna climb up those hills behind the village, find somewhere peaceful, y’know…” Somewhere I can be alone with you, Gojyo managed not to say.  
Hakkai smiled benevolently down at him. :I’ll make a picnic dinner for us, then.: A second later, Gojyo realized that Hakkai’s mouth hadn’t moved when he said that. His eyes widened, and Hakkai stared down at him. :Gojyo?: :Hakkai. I really have your voice in my head?: “Apparently so,” Hakkai said aloud. “It must be another manifestation of the power of the stone.” :It’s kinda convenient, isn’t it?: Gojyo thought at him. :Rather. I can see how we could use it to our advantage in battle,: Hakkai answered him. “We better let Sanzo know,” Hakkai said, speaking aloud again. “Yeah.” As one, they got up and walked back into the inn.  
Sanzo regarded them both, frowning as he often did. “The distance you can move away from each other has increased, but you suddenly started speaking in each other’s minds?”  
Hakkai nodded. “That’s correct.” :That’s pretty obvious, priest,: Gojyo’s bored thought drifted into his head. :Now, now, Gojyo, it’s not like people suddenly form telepathic connections all the time.:  
“Ugh, I can see that you’re doing it right now,” Sanzo interrupted. “Look, I don’t know much about telepathy, but it doesn’t seem to be harmful and if it’s like the energy surge, it may slowly fade away. You can deal with it for at least another day?”  
“It won’t be a problem,” Hakkai said. Gojyo nodded. “Hasn’t really bothered me so far.” :It’s kinda fun to say stuff right in front of Sanzo when he can’t hear it.: Hakkai shot him a reproaching look. “Tell me if anything else happens,” Sanzo ordered, and left Hakkai and Gojyo to pack for their picnic. 

********

They walked up a steep path in the picturesque hillside together, neither making a sound. :This is so weird,: Gojyo thought back to Hakkai. :Indeed. It is rather… novel.: he thought he sensed that Hakkai was very intrigued, despite his apparent disinterest in discussing it.  
:Hakkai… I think I’m sensing your emotions,: :!!!: A little ways up the path, Hakkai stopped walking.  
:Whoa, no need to freak out, Hakkai, I can’t see inside your head or anything, I just saw you were more interested than you said in this telepathy thing.: Gojyo tried to radiate calm outward toward Hakkai, and received a stifled feeling of relief; Hakkai suppressing his emotions and only letting a trickle through onto the surface of his mind.  
:I’m sorry, Gojyo… I’m used to keeping my emotions very private, you see…: Hakkai started up the path again.  
:Well, yeah, I figured, and this probably isn’t all that bad, I could barely tell what you were feeling once you knew about it,: He didn’t want to invade the privacy of Hakkai’s mind, Gojyo reflected, but he had to wonder what emotion Hakkai was trying to hide. Emotions without words attached to them wouldn’t give you that much information… it wasn’t like he had anything to hide with his, anyway… oh shit, except for the ones he’d recently discovered toward Hakkai. Who was the one person who really needed to not know-- :Gojyo? What are you thinking about? I thought you were the one telling me not to panic,: “Just testing this emotion sensing ability,” Gojyo replied cheerily aloud. Hakkai looked back at him suspiciously. Gojyo grinned, shrugged, and sped up on the path, taking the lead and trying to focus his thoughts on the scenery. 

********

“This is the place,” Hakkai said aloud, setting down his picnic basket and turning in a circle to admire the view. They were at the highest point surrounding the village, on a grassy cliff dotted with tall green trees. The sun was beginning to set, and the hills and small buildings below had taken on a golden tint. “It sure is pretty up here,” Gojyo agreed. “You could even say it’s really romantic,” he added teasingly. “Like something a married couple would do,” he sensed a sudden pinch of emotional pain from Hakkai, quickly submerged beneath a river of serenity that died down to make way for amusement. “You can consider this one of the benefits of being that married couple, then,” Hakkai replied. “Now help me set this up.”  
They spread a picnic blanket over the soft grass at the base of a tall, wide tree, facing west, the direction they spent all their days facing, but just now for no better reason than the anticipation of a glorious sunset.

As the sun sank below the horizon, Gojyo leaned back against the broad trunk of the tree, feeling utterly relaxed. Hakkai, leaning against the trunk too and pressed against Gojyo’s left side, was in a similar state. There was an odd, but pleasant, sense of nostalgia drifting on the twilight air, one that intensified when he sipped the sake Hakkai had thoughtfully included in their picnic basket. :I could stay here… a long time,: Hakkai lazily thought toward him. :Yeah,: Gojyo thought back. It was so peaceful. He knew they were both aware of the arduous journey they would have to pick up again at dawn, but up here it seemed so far away. They could have been home. He felt a sudden surge of longing. :Hey, when this whole mission is over, can we find another place like this?: :Yes, I’m certain that we will.:  
Gojyo smiled. He could sense that Hakkai was happy, and the feeling flowed through him warmly and sweetly. He turned his head to get a look at the face of his friend, but Hakkai had done the same thing, they were too close together, and then Hakkai’s lips were touching his and his hand was gently smoothing back Gojyo’s hair and the sweetness of emotions in Gojyo’s head had intensified. :Please let this be alright, Gojyo: Hakkai begged inside his mind. :The urge to do this is so strong that I just couldn’t resist.: It took a minute for Gojyo to process that, but he’d known for longer, longer than he’d known he knew, that it was what he wanted. :Hell yes, it’s alright!: He pulled Hakkai into his arms. :It really is… everything really is alright... Hakkai.: 

********

The sun had set long ago, leaving the sliver of a moon and brightly shining stars to light the sky. Hakkai stared up at those distant lights. What do the heavens have in store for us, he wondered. However, the stars couldn’t keep his attention for long with Gojyo there, asleep with his head on Hakkai’s lap. He’s so beautiful, Hakkai thought to himself for the millionth time. He hardly dared to hope that the man returned his feelings. He was glad that Gojyo was sleeping, and he could confront his emotions as the seed of his doubt sprouted. Hakkai’s love for Gojyo had crept up on him gradually over a long time, long before they encountered the red stone. Long before they were bound together by a spiritual vow of marriage. But Gojyo… there had been no sign, not until recently. Hakkai’s hands stroked Gojyo’s hair and his eyes never left him, enchanted by the moonlight that made him glow as if he were enchanted. “What if this were all a dream?” he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave comments of any kind :)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that was okay! Thanks for reading.


End file.
